Iraq's Shia leaders condemned the Sunni community Tuesday in strident outbursts that appeared to also reject President Obama's terms for offering U.S. military assistance against Islamic extremists.

Obama had called on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to reach out to the Sunnis before the U.S. would exercise military options including airstrikes on the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

However, Maliki announced a crackdown on Sunni politicians and military officers he considers "traitors." He said his Shia coalition would not negotiate with the Sunni bloc in parliament. The Baghdad government also charged that Saudi Arabia was backing ISIS.

"We hold them responsible for supporting these groups financially and morally, and for the outcome of that, which includes crimes that may qualify as genocide," Maliki's government said of the Saudis in a statement.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he had spoken with Maliki urging inclusiveness to little effect.

"There is a real risk of further sectarian violence on a massive scale, within Iraq and beyond its borders," Ban said in Geneva. "I have been urging Iraqi government leaders including Prime Minister al-Maliki to reach out for an inclusive dialogue and solution of this issue."

The break with the Sunnis came as Pentagon officials said Iraqi forces appeared to be holding their lines against advancing ISIS fighters in the town of Baqubah about 40 miles north of Baghdad.

"We have reason to believe the Iraqi security forces are stiffening their resistance and that's encouraging," said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary. Kirby said the Iraqi forces were backed by Shia militias who were responding to the call from Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani to fight against ISIS.

Obama was scheduled to meet Wednesday with Congressional leaders on the military options in Iraq. The leaders include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"I'm anxious to see what plan he might have, given where we are," McConnell told reporters.

On Monday night, Obama informed the Congressional leadership under the War Powers Act that he was deploying as many as 275 U.S. troops to Iraq to protect the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

At a Pentagon briefing Tuesday, Kirby said about 175 of the troops had arrived in Baghdad while another 100 troops were being stationed in Jordan and other neighboring countries with orders to move quickly if needed for evacuations from the Embassy.

Kirby declined to say whether the 100 were Special Forces troops, but said "they're available for a wide range of missions."

The U.S. has also moved the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, the guided-missile cruiser Philippine Sea and the guided-missile destroyer Truxtun into the Persian Gulf in the event that Obama orders airstrikes and Tomahawk cruise missile strikes.

The U.S. also has fixed-wing attack aircraft and Predator and Reaper drones capable of firing Hellfire missiles at airbases in Qatar, Kuwait and Turkey, but it was unclear whether those states would permit airstrikes to originate from their territory.

Maliki's refusal to reach out to the Sunnis has raised the possibility that Iraq could fracture into three regions -- a Sunni sector north and west of Baghdad, a Shia region south of the capital, and a Kurdish state in the far north.

The Kurds already have a Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in the north that has demonstrated limited allegiance to the central government.
KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said Tuesday that a breakup of Iraq might be the only solution to the sectarian violence.

"It's not only ISIS. It's the result of the wrong policy in Baghdad vis-a-vis Sunni areas," Barzani told the BBC. He said he had lost all trust in Maliki and would no longer deal with him.

...The break with the Sunnis came as Pentagon officials said Iraqi forces appeared to be holding their lines against advancing ISIS fighters in the town of Baqubah about 40 miles north of Baghdad....

Baqubah is a baaaaad luck town for jihadis. It is where they were slaughtered as the fled Baghdad at the end of the Surge. Massive numbers of radical jhadis were annihilated in Baqubah. They were in full retreat from the Surge which *cough* some people *cough* said wasn't working at the time. Running for their little piglet lives, committing atrocities along the way like beheading children in front of their families.

Basically the same people today (ISIS et al)...

Oh, and now the Shia militias are really stepping up, Mookie's guys the Al Mahdi Army has begun marching...I'm guessing this is Sadr City (in Baghdad), it's all in arabic or whatever so I can't translate...

"Jaish Al-Mahdi comming (sic) to destroy ISIS"

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarnoch

Obama was scheduled to meet Wednesday with Congressional leaders on the military options in Iraq. The leaders include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Maliki made a bad move by refusing to negotiate with Sunni members of Parliament. It was the exclusion of Sunni that led to sunnis looking for outside support to begin with. Further alienating them is just going to add fuel to the crisis.

Maliki had a chance to keep stability in Iraq but he wouldn't extend the SOFA agreement. He didn't want our help then and he shouldn't get it now.

__________________If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women.-Abigail Adams
this is not CNN or FOX (we're probably more accurate!)-LL HaydenSomeday I'll get my marxist utopia! -LL's GeorgeBushYeah but they're Moozlims. Kill 'em all! -WimblyIn other words it's always their fault for not voting Republican. - Wimbly

__________________If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women.-Abigail Adams
this is not CNN or FOX (we're probably more accurate!)-LL HaydenSomeday I'll get my marxist utopia! -LL's GeorgeBushYeah but they're Moozlims. Kill 'em all! -WimblyIn other words it's always their fault for not voting Republican. - Wimbly

you might be right ... but still, better than fabricating lies to invade a country that was no threat to the US and getting over 4,000 Americans killed in the process and letting the real threat continue to exist with the real killers ...

Iraq's Shia leaders condemned the Sunni community Tuesday in strident outbursts that appeared to also reject President Obama's terms for offering U.S. military assistance against Islamic extremists.

However, Maliki announced a crackdown on Sunni politicians and military officers he considers "traitors." He said his Shia coalition would not negotiate with the Sunni bloc in parliament.

... and so, Iraq sinks into the abyss.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarnoch

Obama was scheduled to meet Wednesday with Congressional leaders on the military options in Iraq. The leaders include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bashman

Great! Five of the most idiotic fucktards in America...

Agree.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquina1300

pretty much. I don't expect much from this Administration.

... or this Congress.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarnoch

"I'm anxious to see what plan he might have, given where we are," McConnell told reporters.

Translation: "I'm anxious to go along with whatever plan he has."

Quote:

Originally Posted by tarnoch

Maliki's refusal to reach out to the Sunnis has raised the possibility that Iraq could fracture into three regions --

Ya think? I think Maliki has slammed the door shut on any hope. So ... he will preside over the bloodbath and the destruction of his country.

I really think all westerners should get the hell out while they can. We should close the embassy as soon as possible and get our people out in an orderly manner.

__________________"Do you know how crappy your reputation is when even marinemom doesn't like you?" - Adolf Hitler"I'll leave you to hug your flag and sing about fweedom and stuff" - Figatova"I think I actually heard 'America the Beautiful' playing in the background while I read your bit about the troops." - KennyThaKilla"The only racists are the Americans." - inevitab1e

you might be right ... but still, better than fabricating lies to invade a country that was no threat to the US and getting over 4,000 Americans killed in the process and letting the real threat continue to exist with the real killers ...

perspective I guess ...

Saddam was a threat.

__________________If we mean to have heroes, statesmen and philosophers, we should have learned women.-Abigail Adams
this is not CNN or FOX (we're probably more accurate!)-LL HaydenSomeday I'll get my marxist utopia! -LL's GeorgeBushYeah but they're Moozlims. Kill 'em all! -WimblyIn other words it's always their fault for not voting Republican. - Wimbly

"We hold them responsible for supporting these groups financially and morally, and for the outcome of that, which includes crimes that may qualify as genocide," Maliki's government said of the Saudis in a statement.

The man is correct, Saudi Arabia is the greatest threat to ME peace today along with the other usual suspects.

Quote:

Saddam was a threat.

Perhaps but he was also part of a balance and when you upset a balance there will be a cost. Anybody with a brain bigger than a gnats can see this and millions knew this would happen.